NYRA Chairman Schwartz Moves Fast to Make Changes

As new chairman of the New York Racing Association, horse owner and breeder has taken swift action to make changes sought by the tracks' racing fans and patrons. In a letter posted on the NYRA Website, Schwartz said the changes are a result of feedback to an online survey conducted by NYRA.

Here is the full text of Schwartz' letter and the proposed changes:

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who took part in our recent opinion poll here on the NYRA web site. Most participants voted overwhelmingly in favor of all three proposed changes. As a result:

1. Claims will be announced after each claiming race beginning on Thursday, November 9th.

2. Uniform saddlecloths, which specify by color the program number of the horse, have been ordered. I will keep you updated regarding the exact date we will begin using them.

3. Meetings are in place to establish a shoe board to indicate the type of shoes worn by each horse. We anticipate this change taking place some time around the start of the New Year.

I am honored to have recently been elected Chairman of the Board of the New York Racing Association. As an avid horseracing fan, I am excited about participating in nyra.com which I have long viewed as the best horse racing web site in the country. Not only does the site deliver a wealth of information but it also exists as a vital forum to gather valuable feedback from you, my fellow racing enthusiasts as demonstrated by our opinion poll. Thanks to you, the results of the survey are now being put into action in order to make racing at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga even better.

Looking ahead, we plan to have many exciting additions to nyra.com in place during 2001 including the Aqueduct Fantasy Challenge, more opinion polls and a host of other fan friendly features. As they say, please stay tuned for more information as details become available. Once again, I welcome your feedback and appreciate your comments. Thank you in advance for your support and help. I hope to see you very soon at the racetrack.